Load position sensing and tier pattern selection for a bale wagon

ABSTRACT

A bale wagon, having a load bed for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, a table for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable for delivering the tier to the load bed and operable means for forming bales into different tier patterns on the table, has improved means for causing the formation of bales into a predetermined sequence of tier patterns. A storage cam has a peripheral arrangement of lobes representing the predetermined sequence of tier patterns. Control means, associated with the storage cam and coupled to the operable means, is responsive to each cam lobe to cause the operable means to form bales into the one tier pattern corresponding to each cam lobe. A rolling rack, movably mounted on the load bed, is coupled to the storage cam such that when the rolling rack is advanced toward the rear of the load bed upon delivery of a tier of bales to the load bed, the storage cam is rotated to bring the next one of its sequence of lobes into association with the control means.

United States Patent Butler et a1.

[ Dec. 23, 1975 1 LOAD POSITION SENSING AND TIER PA'I'I'ERN SELECTION FOR A BALE Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Assistant Examiner-L. J. Paperner Attorney, Agent, or FirmJohn R. Flanagan; Frank A. Seemar; Joseph A. Brown [57] ABSTRACT A bale wagon, having a load bed for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, a table for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable for delivering the tier to the load bed and operable means for forming bales into diiferent tier patterns on the table, has improved means for causing the formation of bales into a predetermined sequence of tier patterns. A storage -cam has a peripheral arrangement of lobes representdelivery of a tier of bales to the load bed, the storage cam is rotated to bring the next one of its sequence of lobes into association with the control means.

13 Claims, 54 Drawing Figures WAGON [75] Inventors: Lee D. Butler, Kingsburg; Edward J.

Wynn, Fresno, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation, New

Holland, Pa.

[22] Filed: Aug. 19, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 498,834

[52] US. Cl 214/6 B; 214/82; 214/518 [51] Int. Cl. A01D 87/12; 8656 57/32 [58] Field of Search 214/6 B, 82, 518, 519

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,256 8/1962 Urban 214/518 3,289,859 12/1966 Tarbox... 214/6 B 3,430,783 3/1969 Butler 214/6 B 3,446,369 5/1969 May et al. 214/6 B 3,446,370 5/1969 Clendenin et al. 214/6 B 3,549,023 12/1970 Backman 214/6 13 56 -J*Zi-i J1 C) so 42 Sheet 1 of 18 3,927,771

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 2 of 18 FIG. 3

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet30f18 3,927,771

FIG.

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet4of18 3,927,771

U.S. Patent Dec.23, 1975 Sheet5ofl8 3,927,771

FIG. I]

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 6 of 18 3,927,771

FIG. l2

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 8 of 18 3,927,771

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 10 of 18 3,927,771

ms 5 s24 FIG. 20

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 SheetlloflS 3,927,771

FIG. 20 A US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 12 of 18 3,927,771

FIG. 2!

US. Patent Dec.23, 1975 Sheet 14 of 18 3,927,771

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 15 of 18 3,927,771

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 16 of 18 3,927,771

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 170f18 3,927,771

FIG. 45

FIG. 44

FIG. 47

FIG. 46

FIG. 48

FIG- 49 Sheet 18 of 18 M ki i FIG- 5| LOAD POSITION SENSING AND TIER PATTERN SELECTION FOR A BALE WAGON CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is hereby made to the following co-pending U.S. applications dealing with related subject matter and assigned to the assignee of the present invention:

1. Improved First Table for a Bale Wagon by Edward J. Wynn et al, US. Ser. No. 498,782, filed Aug. 19, [974.

2. Mode of Operation Selection for the First Table of a Bale Wagon by Lee D. Butler et al, US. Ser. No. 498,833, filed Aug. 19, l974.

3. Tier Pattern Selection and Formation for a Bale Wagon" by James A. Olsen et al, US. Ser. No. 498,839, filed Aug. l9, 1974.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the art of forming a stack of crop material bales and, more particularly, is concerned with a bale wagon incorporating improved features for facilitating the formation of a block-type, tied or interlocked stack of bales thereon.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is accepted present day practice to form bales of crop material such as hay or the like into stacks through the employment of an automatic bale wagon.

One type of bale wagon which has achieved widespread commercial acceptance is the automatic bale wagon which employs the three table concept, as originally illustrated and described in US. Pat. No. 2,848,172 which issued to Gordon B. Grey.

The Grey bale wagon includes a first table which successively receives bales from a bale loader or pickup on the wagon and accumulates a predetermined number of them, for example two, being arranged end-toend in a row, a second table which successively receives the accumulated rows of bales from the first table and accumulates a plurality thereof, such as four, five or six rows, which plurality of rows is commonly called a tier of bales, and a third table or load bed which successively receives the tiers from the second table and accumulates a plurality of the tiers, for example seven, to form a stack thereon. Once the stack has been accumulated on the load bed, it may be unloaded by pivoting the load bed 90 and depositing the stack on the ground or the like with the first tier of bales which was previously accumulated on the second table now being the lowermost tier of the stack in contact with the ground surface.

Since the stack formed by the bale wagon and deposited on the ground at a storage location may remain there for an extended period of time, it is desirable that the bales forming the lowermost tier be oriented such that a non-twine or-wire wearing side of each bale, commonly referred to as an edge" side ofa bale, is in contact with the ground in order to avoid wire rusting or twine rotting which eventually would result in broken bales in the lowermost tier and probable toppling of the stack.

To provide the aforementioned desired orientation of the bales of the lowermost tier of the stack, the operations which have heretofore been performed in picking up and forming bales into each of the tiers of the stack 0 orientation as they will appear when subsequently transferred in stack form by the load bed of the wagon to the ground.

In order to enhance the stability of the stack, it is generally desirable to provide one or more tiers within the stack, such being tiers having individual bales arranged to overlap two bales in adjacent tiers above and below the tie tier. Formation of one or more tie tiers can be accomplished during formation of the stack on the bale wagon, for example, through utilization of a mechanism which is similar to that illustrated and described in US. Pat. No. 3,395,814 and has been incorporated into several present day commercial models of the Grey bale wagon.

Overall, the stacks of bales formed by these current models of the Grey bale wagon, wherein all of the bales are oriented on their edge sides, have satisfactory stability.

However, with respect to stacks which must conform to certain legal width restrictions in order for transport on public highways by trucks and are formed of bales having certain size dimensions, it has been found more desirable to orient the bales of all of the tiers of the stacks, including the tie tiers, but excluding the lowermost tier, on their flat sides. For example, in the case of bales having the approximate size dimensions of i6 inches (edge side width) X 23 inches (flat side width) X 46 inches (length), being most prevalent in the southwestern region of the U.S., bales oriented on their flat (23 inches wide) sides each cover a surface area having a length approximately twice that of its width and thus may be formed by some current Grey bale wagon models into compact, square tie tier patterns utilizing a tie mechanism similar to that disclosed in the aforemen tioned US. Pat. No. 3,395,814, as well as a compact and square standard tier pattern, if such current models were adapted to pick up bales lying on their flat sides in the field. Standard and tie tiers having such a compact and square configuration would form a block-type stack which conforms to the legal width and tier pattern restrictions for public highway transportation.

Although current models of the Grey bale wagon utilizing the aforementioned tie mechanism could readily be adapted, by widening their bale loader, to pick up bales placed on their flat sides on the field by a baler, as opposed to the prevailing, more desirable, practice of depositing bales on their edge sides in the field, and build a stack in which all bales of the standard and tie tier patterns would be oriented on their flat sides after the stack is unloaded upright from the bale wagon, the advantage described hereinbefore associated with orienting the bales of the lowermost tier on their edge sides would not be retained since the first table and its standard mode of operation as heretofore provided on all models of the Grey bale wagon up to the present most current ones do not have the capability of selectively depositing bales onto the second table in either one of an edge side or flat side orientation. 

1. In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, means for accumulating bales into a tier, and operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns and for adding each tier to said tier-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises: a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said memory element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions; means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions and add said tier to said tier-accumulating means; and means responsive to the addition of each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating for successively disposing said cam follower of said coupled and associated means at each of said cam positions, said responsive means including means movably mounted on said tier-accumulating means for supporting said tiers on said tier-accumulating means as said tiers are successively added thereto, said Supporting means being moved as at least some of said tiers are successively added to said tier-accumulating means, and means for transmitting the movement of said supporting means to said cam so as to rotate said cam and thereby dispose said cam follower at successive ones of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.
 2. A bale wagon as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitting means includes: a cable drum co-axially arranged with said cam and rotatable therewith; and a cable interconnecting said supporting means and said cable drum, said movement of said supporting means being transmitted by said cable to said cable drum to cause rotation thereof and thereby rotation of said cam.
 3. A bale wagon as recited in claim 1, wherein: said supporting means includes means for retaining said successively-added tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means by the successive addition of tiers thereto, hydraulic cylinder means being coupled to said retaining means and retractable upon movement thereof due to successive tiers being added to said tier-accumulating means, and hydraulic means coupled to said hydraulic cylinder means for maintaining fluid pressure within said hydraulic cylinder means to prevent retraction thereof, said hydraulic means only allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, during successive addition of said tiers to said tier-accumulating means, and said transmitting means includes a cable drum co-axially arranged with said cam and rotatable therewith, and a cable interconnecting said hydraulic cylinder means and said cable drum, said movement of said retaining means, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, being transmitted by said cable to said cable drum to cause rotation thereof and thereby rotation of said cam.
 4. In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, means for accumulating bales into a tier, and operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns and for adding each tier to said tier-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises: a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions with each represent one of said tier patterns; means coupled to said operable means and associated with said memory element, said coupled and associated means responsive to each of said memory element positions to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said memory element positions and add said tier to said tier-accumulating means; and means responsive to the addition to each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating means for successively disposing said coupled and associated means at each of said memory element positions, said responsive means including means associated with said tier-accumulating means such that relative displacement between said associated means and said bale-accumulating means increases as at least some of said tiers are successively added to said tier-accumulating means and means for transmitting the increases in displacement between said associated means and said bale-accumulating means so as to dispose said coupled and associated means at successive ones of said positions defined by said memory element.
 5. A bale wagon as recited in claim 4, wherein: said associated means includes means for retaining said successively-added tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means as tiers are successively added thereto, and means for restricting the movement of said retaining means to successive displacements being proportional to the displacements between said successive positions defined by said memory element; and said transmitting means includes means for translating said successive displacements of said retaining means into said displacements between said successive positions of said memory element.
 6. A bale wagon as recited in claim 4, wherein said associated means includes: means for retaining said successively-added tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means by the successive addition of tiers thereto; hydraulic cylinder means being coupled to said retaining means and retractable upon movement thereof due to successive tiers being added to said tier-accumulating means; and hydraulic means coupled to said hydraulic cylinder means for maintaining fluid pressure within said hydraulic cylinder means to prevent retraction thereof, said hydraulic means only allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, during successive addition of said tiers to said tier-accumulating means.
 7. In a bale wagon having means disposed in a generally horizontal position for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack and being pivotally movable to a generally upright position for facilitating unloading of said stack therefrom, and means for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable for delivering said tier to said tier-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises: means on said tier-accumulating means for retaining successively-delivered tiers in a stack relationship thereon and being movable along said tier-accumulating means by the successive delivery of tiers thereon when said tier-accumulating means is in its horizontal position and being movable along said tier-accumulating means due to the weight of said stack when said tier-accumulating means is pivotally moved to its upright position; hydraulic cylinder means being coupled to said retaining means and retractable upon movement of said retaining means due to successive tiers being delivered to said tier-accumulating means when in its horizontal position and due to the weight of said stack on said retaining means when said tier-accumulating means is pivotally moved to its upright position; and hydraulic means coupled to said hydraulic cylinder means for maintaining fluid pressure within said hydraulic cylinder means to prevent retraction thereof, said hydraulic means including relief means for allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder and movement of said retaining means, due to successive tiers being delivered to said tier-accumulating means when in its horizontal position, and shutoff means connected to said relief means and shiftable to prevent said relief means from allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder and movement of said retaining means, due to the weight of said stack on said retaining means when said tier-accumulating means is pivotally moved to its upright position.
 8. In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, means for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable for delivering said tier to said tier-accumulating means and operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns on said bale-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises: means for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said storing means defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions; means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form bAles into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions; and means responsive to delivery of each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating means for successively disposing said cam follower of said coupled and associated means at each of said cam positions, said responsive means including means movably mounted on said tier-accumulating means for supporting said tiers on said tier-accumulating means as said tiers are successively delivered thereto, said supporting means being moved as at least some of said tiers are successively delivered to said tier-accumulating means, and means for transmitting the movement of said supporting means to said cam so as to rotate said cam and thereby dispose said cam follower at successive ones of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.
 9. A bale wagon as recited in claim 8, wherein said transmitting means includes: a cable drum co-axially arranged with said cam and rotatable therewith; and a cable interconnecting said supporting means and said cable drum, said movement of said supporting means being transmitted by said cable to said cable drum to cause rotation thereof and thereby rotation of said cam.
 10. A bale wagon as recited in claim 8, wherein: said supporting means includes means for retaining said successively-delivered tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means by the successive delivery of tiers thereto, hydraulic cylinder means being coupled to said retaining means and retractable upon movement thereof due to successive tiers being delivered to said tier-accumulating means, and hydraulic means coupled to said hydraulic cylinder means for maintaining fluid pressure within said hydraulic cylinder means to prevent retraction thereof, said hydraulic means only allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, during successive delivery of said tiers to said tier-accumulating means, and said transmitting means includes a cable drum co-axially arranged with said cam and rotatable therewith, and a cable interconnecting said hydraulic cylinder means and said cable drum, said movement of said retaining means, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, being transmitted by said cable to said cable drum to cause rotation thereof and thereby rotation of said cam.
 11. In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, means for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable for delivering said tier to said tier-accumulating means and operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns on said bale-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises: means for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said means defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns; means coupled to said operable means and associated with said storing means, said coupled and associated means responsive to each of said storing means positions to cause said operable means to form bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said storing means positions; and means responsive to delivery of each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating means for successively disposing said coupled and associated means at each of said storing means positions, said responsive means including means movably mounted on said tier-accumulating means for supporting said tiers on said tier-accumulating means as tiers are successively delivered thereto, said supporting means being moved as at least some of said tiers are successively delivered to said tier-accumulating means and means for transmitting the movement of said supporting means so as to dispose said coupled and associated means at successive ones of said positions defined by said storing means.
 12. A bale wagon as Recited in claim 11, wherein: said supporting means includes means for retaining said successively-delivered tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means as tiers are successively delivered thereto, and means for restricting the movement of said retaining means to successive displacements being proportional to the displacements between said successive positions defined by said storing means; and said transmitting means includes means for translating said successive displacements of said retaining means into said displacements between said successive positions of said storing means.
 13. A bale wagon as recited in claim 11, wherein said supporting means includes: means for retaining said successively-delivered tiers in a stack relationship on said tier-accumulating means and being movable along said tier-accumulating means by the successive delivery of tiers thereto; hydraulic cylinder means being coupled to said retaining means and retractable upon movement thereof due to successive tiers being delivered to said tier-accumulating means; and hydraulic means coupled to said hydraulic cylinder means for maintaining fluid pressure within said hydraulic cylinder means to prevent retraction thereof, said hydraulic means only allowing relief of said fluid pressure, and thereby retraction of said hydraulic cylinder means, during successive delivery of said tiers to said tier-accumulating means. 